St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton awarded for energy and cost-saving measures

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At an announcement in late November of this year, St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton was presented with a significant $172,409 Electricity Retrofit Incentive Program (ERIP) cheque by Horizon Utilities. This was in recognition of the peak demand electricity savings of 732 kW achieved through the retrofit program completed in partnership with Honeywell Energy Solutions.

The Electricity Retrofit Incentive Program, offered by Horizon Utilities and the Ontario Power Authority, provides incentives for commercial, industrial, agricultural and institutional customers who complete electrical retrofits that result in demand savings and/or annual energy savings. St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton is in the midst of a $9.3 million energy retrofit and renewal program with Honeywell Energy Solutions. By combining energy-efficient upgrades with critical building enhancements, the program will help the Charlton and Stoney Creek campuses address deferred maintenance, reduce their environmental footprints and save almost $1 million in utility costs per year. Additional measures include cost-saving improvements to the HVAC systems and lighting at the Charlton and King St. Campuses, such as: • Changing to T8 lamps, and reducing the number of lamps • Installing occupancy sensors in offices, storage spaces and mechanical rooms • Retrofitting variable frequency drives on fan systems thereby reducing the energy required to circulate air and, in some cases, shutting the fans off in areas that are not occupied after hours and on weekends • Installing new energy-efficient chillers that use less energy while meeting the hospital’s cooling requirements “By replacing aging chillers with a more energy-efficient district cooling system and installing energy-efficient lighting, with better illumination levels and reduced energy consumption, St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton is setting a great example for other health-care facilities,” says Max Cananzi, President and CEO of Horizon Utilities Corporation. “Money saved on energy is money that can be directed instead to patient care. We congratulate St. Joseph’s on taking a pro-active, leadership role in energy conservation in our community.” The Honeywell program will significantly curb the hospital’s energy use; it is expected to reduce annual water consumption by more than 22 million litres, natural gas use by 820,000 cubic meters and electricity consumption by 7.3 million kilowatt-hours. In addition, carbon dioxide emissions will be reduced by approximately 1,971 tonnes per year. According to figures from Environment Canada, this is equivalent to removing more than 3,880 cars from the road and 811 homes powered for one year. “Our top priorities are to provide St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton’s patients with the highest quality care possible and provide our staff with a safe and comfortable work environment,” says Ms. Rebecca Repa, Vice President, Planning, Development and Diagnostics at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton. “The energy savings through this project demonstrate our commitment to having a positive ecological impact on the community, our patients, and staff.”